Forty Years Later, New Watergate Court Records Released

The Watergate Complex in Washington, D.C. was made famous by the 1972 break-in that brought down Richard Nixon.

The public can now get a first-hand look into some of the main characters involved in the Watergate break-in.

Court records detailing the personal histories and statements of four men involved in the Watergate break-in are now open to the public, 40 years after they were filed under seal.

The National Archives and Records Administration released 75 pages of documents in response to a judge's ruling ordering the documents unsealed. The judge had previously ordered the release of hundreds of pages of documents in the criminal case involving the burglars. Those pages were released in November, but additional pages were released Monday along with some previously redacted information.

The newly released documents include reports prepared in 1973 after interviews with four of the five burglars. The pre-sentence reports, which are routinely prepared before defendants are sentenced, include psychological evaluations and details of the burglars' family and criminal history.

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